Saturday, August 27, 2011

My anticipated final visit to the Everglades Agricultural Area in the late Summer 2011 migration season highlighting the birding mecca south of Lake Okeechobee was made eleven days after my previous trip to the area.

The sunrise above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Water levels in the flooded fields visited this trip appeared about the same as seen earlier if not slightly dryer as indicated by fewer puddles in one field on Gladeview Road.

On my preceding visit, it was noted by Naples birding master Vince Lucas, in the company of masters Tom Obrock and Jose Padilla, that nearly every puddle in this particular field was occupied by shorebirds.

The Black Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I again left Fort Myers about 2 and 1/2 hours before sunrise to be on the scene for the first wildlife activity of the day.

It was my intention to visit the area the previous day when Vince was leading a tour of STA5 and then guiding visitors from Seattle in the agricultural area afterward with hopes of meeting up with him somewhere coincidentally, but I was in much need of rest.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

My first stop and observation was at the fields east of the University of Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center which had abundant very early morning activity unlike the preceding visit.

I slowed to a stop on the highway in front of the first gate to find a wildlife observer already there that occupied the space for two vehicles with the access gate closed.

The American Avocet with Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Since I had discovered on my previous visits that the the first field is actually best viewed from the second access gate with the sun rising from behind, I drove the short distance to find that gate open.

There's a disadvantage here with a canal perpendicular to the highway along the east edge of the first field that adds some distance for viewing, with a berm overgrown with weeds additionally between the canal and field.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

It was here that I met Tom Smith on the berm on my first visit whom had been a mere 20 feet from where I would make my observations this day.

I again had a very strong urge to cross the canal which is no more than ten feet wide to climb the berm to its other side to get the best view of the field.

The Red-winged Blackbird above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The banks on either side of the canal are steep and I just had a really uncomfortable feeling about crossing it with no idea of the canal's depth, not to mention the possibility that it may not have a solid bottom.

So I remained on terra firma to observe with the best view I had.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The eastern flooded field which was practically absent of birds on the previous two visits was rife with the very abundant Black-necked Stilt in the area.

Nearly a hundred Mottled Duck were observed in the east field later in the day.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

In the west field, Roseate Spoonbill were closer to the highway than they had been observed before.

An additional highlight here was a larger number of swallows with one species that I was able to photograph successfully.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I had remembered to adjust the camera's focus points after many failed attempts to barely track the fast moving subjects that strafed me numerous times within five feet.

Adjusting the camera correctly allowed me to finally acquire focus on them for at least a chance in taking a photograph of them.

The Cloudless Giant Sulphur above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

A pair of Black Skimmers made passes directly in front of me quite a few times as well.

From these fields I moved on the the flooded fields on Brown's Farm Road which were completely absent of the plentiful spoonbill and Wood Stork seen on both visits earlier in the month.

The Black Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

A pair of Black Tern were observed at these fields with a few Mottled Duck, very abundant Cattle Egret and a few Great Egret with it unfortunate not to have seen the Gull-billed Tern again.

From here I drove onto Sam Senter Road and then east which is a very favored area brought to my attention by Vince in the lead on the previous tour.

The Barn Swallow above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I considered the visit to this spot hurried previously due to inclement weather and immensely enjoyed spending more time at this field.

Although Fulvous Duck were not seen here, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck remained abundant with a pair protective of what appeared to be ten small juveniles.

The Black Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

From here I drove East on County Highway 880 to Gladeview Road where Black Terns were again active among a solitary Least Tern.

The Fulvous Whistling-Duck with juvenile was not seen here either this visit.

The Brown-headed Cowbird above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

There were two families of Common Gallinule with fledglings seen while I almost ran over one of the birds that appeared out of nowhere.

A small rat was seen crossing the road that was a surprise with all its predators around.

The Brown-headed Cowbird above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Four Black-crowned Night-Heron were seen in flight together which was the most I had seen of this species before at one time.

With direction from Tom Obrock I traveled to the Cypress stand off 827 with hopes of observing Barn Owl seen by Vince, Tom and Jose on 10 August 2011.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck with juveniles above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Although I scanned every branch, there was not a bird seen in the trees although many swallows were observed working the Miami canal before me.

I had my first sight of an alligator in the area here.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

There were some really strange prehistoric looking insects seen here especially after I disturbed the grasses on the side of the road.

I later learned that if I had traveled a mere additional mile to the north at the end of 827, I could return to the Cypress stand on the other side of the canal for a more accommodating view of the trees.

The Green Heron above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Rain had fallen during my commute through the area in the late morning and early afternoon with lightning unexpectedly having been observed well before sunrise.

Undaunted I chose to make another return to Sam Senter Road.

The Black-crowned Night-Heron juvenile above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I stopped near the crane on the west side of the road which was covered with Brown-headed Cowbird while the wires above had hundreds more.

As I made a slow approach to photograph the birds on the crane I was startled by the presence of another hundred of the species that took flight from the tree behind me.

The Green Heron above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The sound effect of their blast off was extraordinary and startling.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks with juveniles were not seen again as hoped and the bird activity had declined significantly in what was then early afternoon.

The alligator above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

My speculation is that visitation and observation of the fields in the Everglades Agricultural Area should best be made in the Fall when the fields are accommodatingly flooded for the migratory shorebirds.

With the fields comparatively devoid of water at the end of the dry season (Spring), it would seem unlikely the shorebirds migrating north would find this area suitable for a stopover with the exception perhaps of those species that would rest in the sod fields.

The Scarlet Skimmer above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I only observed one field (Brown's Farm) that appeared to be intentionally flooded for perhaps rice farming while all the remaining fields observed appeared to be mechanically drained.

This is a must visit wildlife area traveled from anywhere during Fall shorebird migration.

The Black Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Press here for a map with locations of Everglades Agricultural Area wildlife venues visited in 2011.

Feature: Everglades Agricultural Area Part I
Feature: Everglades Agricultural Area Part II

Friday, August 19, 2011

Upon the return home from my first trip to the Everglades Agricultural Area, images taken were immediately transferred to the computer.

The Great Egret with Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I had immense excitement to determine if I had captured any of my wildlife photographs successfully as I had to manually focus with the gear I was using at the time.

I learned that I don't ever want to be in the same predicament again.

The Cattle Egret above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The next day I returned to the agricultural area with my primary camera that would allow autofocus of images taken presented here.

It was a much more enjoyable experience and was more confident with the exposure control of this camera I had been using for the last six months or so.

The Green Heron above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Departure from home was again a few hours before optimal sunrise light.

Tom Obrock, Jose Padilla and Vince Lucas were on their way but traveled another route from the Naples area.

The Red-winged Blackbird above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I arrived at the first flooded field east of the University of Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center in predawn light and was surprised by the relative absence of birds seen in great numbers the morning before.

The birds may have been on the south end of the flooded field too far to see without the benefit of binoculars at the least.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I continued on to the Brown's Farm Road flooded fields.

They had earlier offered the rarities not expected to be seen on the southern Gulf Coast including Black Tern, Gull-billed Tern and other migrants which I had hopes of photographing with better results.

The Black Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The sunrise was spectacular as I observed more wading birds than shorebirds.

I reported to Tom Obrock en route that I thought I had seen Fulvous Whistling-Duck, but found after review of the image taken that I had seen Black-bellied Whistling-Duck with the red color of the bill unmistakable.

The Black-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Hearing back from Tom that he had observed Barn Owl at "the tree" near the Miami canal, I wrapped up my observations on Brown's Farm Road to meet up with him, Jose and Vince at King Ranch on Highway 27.

I wasn't sure where King Ranch was, still unfamiliar with the area, but Tom got me headed in the right direction.

The Roseate Spoonbill with Wood Stork above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

After driving past them, I would make a u-turn after a few miles when I was sure I was lost.

I found them east of the sugar mill as Jose and Vince had their digiscopes focused on Upland Sandpipers and a Killdeer that I recognized.

The American Avocet above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

This observation point on the King Ranch frontage road along U.S. Route 27 about 2.5 miles south of County Road 827 is a good one especially with use of a digiscope.

Tom was gracious in allowing me use of his high powered binoculars to scan the sod fields.

The American Avocet above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

We next stopped at the flooded fields east of the University of Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center which offered a plethora of bird activity that was in sharp contrast to my observation earlier in the morning.

There were perhaps a thousand birds including the especially entertaining Wilson's Phalarope.

The Black Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Vince spoke of the value of setting up a blind here.

It was surprising to me to see so many shorebird species so far inland that are typically observed at the beach.

The Lesser Yellowlegs above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

A shorebird blastoff event here was possibly caused by the shadow of a vulture flying overhead.

We then traveled to the Brown's Farm Road fields which I consider a favorite in the area visited thus far.

The shorebirds above were photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Roseate Spoonbill were again present in great numbers with several sporting well worn bands.

I recommended to Jose that we drive on the berm, warning of the rocks, and think he told me that it was a "rough road" after traversing it.

The shorebirds above were photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The berm offers a magnificent view of the fields to the east from its high elevation.

This berm should be driven on with great caution only if your vehicle offers high clearance.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

It was around noon at that point and the winds had really picked up with some drizzle.

From there we traveled north along the road I thought Tom Smith had told me wasn't worth traveling the day before.

The Pectoral Sandpiper above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

We made our way back onto County Highway 880 after a rain storm passed us.

Access to Six Mile Bend Farm off of 880 and Brown's Farm Road was granted to us.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

This is another venue that requires a digiscope for best appreciation of the wildlife.

It offered an opportunity to get my first relatively good view of Upland Sandpiper which Vince said might accommodate my slow approach.

The birding masters (l to r) Jose Padilla, Vince Lucas and Tom Obrock above were photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

While I was determined to get an image of the species directly in my path, I inadvertently flushed the other birds off to my left that I did not see.

This is the most skittish species of bird I have yet seen.

The Upland Sandpiper above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

It was interesting to see the sod farm activities at this property.

We then traveled to Sam Senter Road which offered great bird activity in the early afternoon.

The Boat-tailed Grackle above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Jose allowed me use of a spare pair of binoculars he had for the remainder of our travels together.

The greatest concentration of Snowy Egrets were observed here with an observation of Fulvous Whistling-Duck which I last saw at STA5 in March.

The Glossy Ibis with Snowy Egret above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Our next stop on Gladeview Road south of 880 would offer another Fulvous Whistling-Duck with juvenile.

The weather again began to turn for the worse and we would part ways.

The Fulvous Whistling-Duck with juvenile above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

On my drive home I would have my first sighting of Helmeted Guineafowl east of Palomino Drive on E State Road 80.

Tom Obrock has compiled a remarkable list of 73 species of bird on his trip this day with a great account that can be seen here.

The Helmeted Guineafowl above was photographed near the Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Press here for a map with locations of Everglades Agricultural Area wildlife venues visited in 2011.

Feature: Everglades Agricultural Area Part I
Feature: Everglades Agricultural Area Part III

Friday, August 12, 2011

A view from above, very high above the southern peninsula of Florida offers quite a stunning view of the landscape.

The Common Nighthawk above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The most prominent landmark is Lake Okeechobee which has over time become a managed reservoir providing water for nearby urban areas and agriculture.

The Everglades Agricultural Area is primarily used for the growth of sugarcane.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Crop production also yields citrus, vegetables, sweet corn and rice.

The fields create an interesting mosaic of shapes and colors not only as seen from above, but at ground level as well.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Another interesting utilization of the land is the growth of sod which can be a magnet for certain species of birds.

Late summer here offers a glimpse of aves migration with countless birds on their way to South America, or to remain in Florida, for the winter.

The Wilson's Phalarope with Long-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I would make my first visit to the area on 9 August 2011 with the intent of documenting my wildlife sightings through photography.

A 4:30am departure from Fort Myers led to my arrival at an extremely productive flooded field about a mile east of the University of Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center on County Highway 880 in Belle Glade, Palm Beach County.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I had prior to my arrival traveled parts of Duda Road which was misguided for finding the scores of birds in the area.

I made my first sighting of a Common Nighthawk slumbering on a powerline on Duda Road which led to the realization that I was not going to be able to use the autofocus feature of the camera.

The Black Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Wrong camera to accompany a 2X extender which required me to manually focus all the images captured this day.

Manual focus is a skill that I didn't want to have a greater appreciation for on this trip.

The Black Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

It is challenging enough to capture birds in flight with autofocus.

I should have remembered this major fault with the 5dm2 as Tim Rucci had told me last year that the 2X extender would allow autofocus at the center point with my primary camera.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

My thinking was that I would need the megapixel capability of the 5dm2 anticipating heavy cropping of images of birds expected to be photographed from a great distance.

At the flooded field I met part-time wildlife observer and photographer Deputy Sheriff Thomas Smith visiting from the Boynton Beach area.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

He told me he has been keeping a close eye on this area while I was quite surprised to find him where I did.

Tom was well camouflaged in vegetation on the berm that surrounds much of the field allowing him a very commanding view of the scene.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

I must admit I was tempted to cross the channel between us, but did not want to test its depth.

There were countless Black-necked Stilts primarily between the two flooded fields I was viewing and the birds were typically vocal.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The highlight for me here was attempting to photograph my never before seen Black Tern.

A pair of American Avocet would fly in making them the first of season sighting for Tom and me.

The American Avocet above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Although I was certainly in no hurry to leave, Tom advised that I visit the flooded fields off Browns Farm Road (first bridge on left).

Upon arrival there I paused to observe the Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork that were in great numbers.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The birds were for the most part resting although became active when fish were periodically pumped into the field from the canal.

The wading birds seen here were in great contrast to the birds on the other side of the field primarily made up of shore birds.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Another highlight was my first sighting of Gull-billed Tern which has the most appealing call of all the tern species I've heard.

Tom Smith arrived on the scene and allowed me a view through his scope.

The Gull-billed Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

The Black Tern was present in this area as well with what I believe might be my first observation of Curlew Sandpiper.

A drive over the berm at Browns Farm Road offered a very commanding view of the flooded fields.

The Stilt Sandpiper with Black and Gull-billed Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

At noon time a rain storm made its way through the area and I chose to call it a day.

The Black Tern above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

In all I'm not sure the total count of new species of bird I photographed this day and the next with day two highlighted in EAA Part II.

Thanks are due to Tom Obrock for writing about this wildlife area in his blog this past week which was the impetus for my devoting my two days off from work to investigate the agricultural fields which are ripe with migratory birds.

The scene above was photographed at Everglades Agricultural Area in August 2011.

Press here for a map with locations of Everglades Agricultural Area wildlife venues visited in 2011.

Feature: Everglades Agricultural Area Part II
Feature: Everglades Agricultural Area Part III